The term breakfast literally means to "break the fasting" period of the prior night, thus, the first meal of the day. However, the time of the meal and the types of food eaten vary from culture to culture.
Most food historians consider breakfast as the first meal people have in the morning, but when and what people eat for breakfast depends on their occupation, social class, ethnicity, where they live, and personal preferences.
What Americans eat for breakfast
In the U.S., it is a meal composed of foods such as eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, cereal, or oatmeal are often eaten in the early morning.
In a national random telephone poll conducted by Consumer Reports National Research Center, breakfast is most common among older Americans (93 percent of people age 75+ versus 72 percent of people age younger than 30). Majority of Americans reported having fruits for breakfast, followed by cold cereal, eggs, nut products, and breakfast bars.
In a different poll conducted by ABC News, what people eat for breakfast differs regionally. Cold cereal and bagels are most popular among Northeasterners, while eggs and bacon or ham are most popular among Southerners.
Some traditional American breakfast foods include:
- Bacon
- Bagels
- Cereal
- Doughnuts
- Eggs
- French toast
- Grits
- Pancakes
- Sausage
- Toast
- Waffles
Some traditional American breakfast beverages include:
- Coffee
- Milk
- Orange juice
What Portlanders eat for breakfast
Based on a reader survey by Food Dude of Portland Food and Drink, Screen Door, Mother's Bistro, Simpatica Catering, and Broder Cafe have been voted as the top spots for breakfast for three consecutive years, with Tasty N Sons owning the number one spot in 2011 and 2012. The three lists (2010, 2011, 2012) suggest that Portlanders love a hearty breakfast.
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